46 THE SEAT AND BALANCE. 



keeps the weight in its proper bearing, and produces an 

 appearance of graceful confidence. 



The head should be in an easy, natiu-al position : 

 that is, neither drooping forward nor thrown back ; 

 neither leaning to the right nor to the left. The bust 

 should be elegantly developed, by throwing back the 

 shoulders, advancing the chest, and bending the back 

 part of the waist inward. The elbows shoidd be steady, 

 and kept in an easy, and apparently unconstrained 

 position, near the sides. The lower part of the arm 

 should form a right angle with the upper part, which 

 ought to descend almost perpendicularly from the 

 shoulder. The position of the hands, when both are 

 occupied with the reins, or when the reins are held in 

 one only, we have already noticed : the right arm and 

 hand, in the latter case, may depend, easily, from the 

 shoulder, and the whip be held in the fingers, with the 

 lash downward, between two fingers and the thumb. 

 The whip may also be carried in the right hand, in the 

 manner adopted by gentlemen : the lady is not re- 

 stricted to any precise rules in this respect, but may 

 vary the position of her whip arm as she may think 

 fit, so that she do not permit it to appear ungraceful. 

 She must, however, take care that the whip be so 

 carried, that its point do not tickle or irritate the flank 

 of the horse. 



The stirrup is of very little use except to support 

 the left foot and leg, and to assist the rider to rise in 



